Water-meter.



F. W. HANKS.

WATER METER. Armcmon min AuG.2s, |914.

Patented July 25, 1916.

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FREDERICK W. HANKS, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WATER-METER.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W..HANKS, i cit-izen of the United States, and a resiient of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new' and use Eul Improvement in Water-Meters, of which :he following is a specification, the principle if the invention being herein explained and '.he best mode in which I have lcontemplated ipplying that principle, so as to distinguish t from other inventions.

The object of the present invention is to )rovide a water meter smoothly and accu- `ately operable under various conditions of use.

Among the particular` objects of the in- 'ention are the'provision of a meter which s simple in construction, and whose parts nay Vbe economically manufactured and eadily assembled or dismantled; the pro- 'ision of simplified and improved means or operatively communicating motion of he measuring valve to the registering mechnism; the provision of improved means for iounting the valve; and the provision of an nproved valve.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing nd related ends, said invention, then convsts of the means hereinafter fully described nd particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following escription set forth in detail, certain mechnism embodying the invention, such dis osedmeans constituting, however, but one t various mechanical forms in which the rinciple of the invention may be used.

In saidannexed drawingz--Figure 1 is a -ntral sectional view of a meter embodying ie invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view on the ne 2 2 inv Fig. 1, with the top cover and rtain operative parts removed; Fig. 3 is sectional view on theline 3 3 in Fig. 1; id Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view of a 'eferred form of valve.

The meter comprises a casing section 1,

rmed with an inlet opening 2 and with an ztlet opening 3, the bottom of the central rtion of the casing having the form of a ne 4. A partition 5 is removably seated Y the casing 1, over the conical bottom 4,

d is held in place by a cover 6, which is :ured to the casing section 1, preferably screws 7. The cover 6 carries any suitle registering or recording mechanism 8,

ustrated diagrammatically in the draw- Specication of Letters Patent.

ing, the registering or recording mechanism being operable by-rotation of an arm 9.

The partition 5 is formed with a port 10, from which .a duct leads downwardly, the duct being formed by a wall l1, separating the port from the outlet passage 3, and byV a foraminous wall 12, whoseapertures open into the measuring chamberthat is formed between the bottom of the casing section 1, and the partition 5.

A casing 13, is mounted on the partition 5, -and it carries a tappet wheel 14 rotatable ona pin 15, having an enlarged head 16, with a beveled edge disposed within the cas-` ing 13. A pin 17 is rotatably mounted in the casing 13, and carries any desirable number of tappets 18, which engage the tappet wheel14, and the pin also carries a tappet wheel 19. Mounted fixedly on the apex of the conical bottom 4 of the ca'sing section 1, is a spherical bearing 20, which is formed of self-lubricating, substantially nonexpanv sible material. I prefer to use either mica or graphite, or a mixture of mica and graphite for forming the bearing. A conical valve 2l is mounted on the bearing 20and it carries a tappet 22 engaging the tappet wheel 19.

The valve 21 is formed, as illustrated in Fig. 4, by two outer layers of metal, 24 and 25, between which is inclosed a central layer 26 of compressible material, the compressible material extending beyond the inclosing metal layers at t-he edge of the valve. I prefer to construct the valve of a central layer of cork inclosed by outer layers of brass.

In operation, lthe water flows in through the inlet opening 2, and upwardly Vthrough an' opening 23, lnto the space between the partition and the cover, and thence downwardly through'the port in the partition whence it is discharged throu h the foraminous Wall of the duct .extending from the port against the upper surface of the valve. The How of water discharged against the valve, causes the valve to gyrate, and as itl does so, the water fiows around its upper surface and out through the discharge opening 3. In order to permit the gyratory motion of the valve, the latter is slotted to ernbrace the walls of the duct 10. The gyratory motion of the valve is frictionless as possible because the bearing upon which it is mounted is. formed by Self-lubricating mate- Patented July 25, 1916.A

Application led August 28, 1914.- SerialNo. 859,036.

rial, and its movement will be substantially unaffected by variation in the temperature of the water passing through the meter, because the bearing is formed of substantially non-expansible material, and also because the valve itself is formed with a central layer 'of compressible material. Any vmaterial escape of water around the valve is prevented because the central layer of compressible material makes intimate contact with the `ivall of the measuring chamber, and yet the contact is yielding so that substantially no friction is produced. Gyratory motion of the valve produces rotary motion of the tappet 22, and this ,motion is communicated to the registering or recording mechanism by the tappet wheels 19, the tappets 18 and the tappet wheel 14. B y means of this series of tappet wheels and tappets, a highly effective reduction between the motion of thevalve-and that of the registering or recording mechanism is secured in a very simple manner.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may beemployed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated 'means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In a water meter, the combination of a casing having a conical bottom; a ported partition in the casing forming a measuring chamber between itself and the bottom; an

inlet passage extending above the partition, and communicating throu h the port thereof with the measuring cham r; an outlet passage extending from the measuring chamber; and a gyratory conical valve mounted on the bottom of the casing.

2. In a water meter, the combination of a casing having a conical bottom; a ported partition in the casin forming a measuring chamber between itse f and the bottom; an inlet passage extending above the partition, and communicating through the port thereof with the measuring chamber; an outlet passage extending from the measuring chamber; a duct extending downwardly from the port and Aformed with a wall Separating it fromv casing section having a conical bottoiii";fja'

ported partition removably ,seated on the section and forming a,measur-ing'chzliiilier-y between itself and the bottom; a cover-re#A movably secured to the section; an inlet; passage extending tothe space between the* partition and the cover; an outlet passage: extending from the measuring chamber; and? a gyratory conical valve mounted on the bottom of the section. l 4. In a water meter, the combination of a casing; a convex spherical bearing formedof self-lubricating material mounted there-f; in; and a gyratory valve having a .concave spherical portion mounted on the bearing. 5. In a water meter, the combination of a casing; a convex spherical bearing formed of self-lubricating, substantially non-expansible material mounted therein; and ai gyratory valve having a concave spherical portion mounted on the bearing. 6. In a water meter, the combination of a casing; a spherical bearing formed of self-l lubricating material mounted therein; and a gyratory valve mounted on the bearing, the valve being formed by outer layers of metal and a central layer of compressible material extending beyond the layers of metal at theI ed e of the valve. In a water meter, a gyratory valve comq prising outer layers of metal, and a central layer of cork extending beyond the layers of metal at the edge of the valve. Signed by me, this 26th day of August= 1914. l FREDERICK W. HANKS. i Attested by--.

ROBERT M. SEE, ANNA L. GILL. 

